


Don't Tell Mom

by Notsoawesomenerd



Series: Aca-Mommy Dearest [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Established Bechloe, F/F, bechloe baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 12:21:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23711425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notsoawesomenerd/pseuds/Notsoawesomenerd
Summary: Beca and Chloe are parents. And Beca likes to try and keep secrets with their daughter.Note: This story is part of a series, but can stand alone since its not in any order.
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Series: Aca-Mommy Dearest [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726318
Comments: 35
Kudos: 170





	Don't Tell Mom

**Author's Note:**

> This was a lot of fun to write. I might even add a sequel or two. I hope you enjoy it! I've been struck by the writer's bug during this quarantine, so if anyone likes my writing and has ideas for oneshots or short stories let me know, I might just do it :)

**Don't Tell Mom**

_Baby Shark_

Chloe and Beca were absolutely in love. With each other and their little 8 month old, Bailey Clara Mitchell. The little rugrat was crying in her playpen as Beca was trying literally everything to make it stop. Bailey had already been fed and burped. She would only scream louder when Beca tried to hold her. And every toy Beca held out for her was embraced with an ear-piercing scream and more tears.

"Baby girl, please stop crying." Beca got on her knees and put her head against the playpen's rail. Chloe was taking a much needed baby break as she took a shower. She was rewarded earlier for feeding her daughter with white, runny vomit projectiled all over her. Chloe, herself, almost burst into tears before Beca quickly ushered her upstairs to take a shower and leave Beca in charge.

Beca was almost at her wits end when she noticed the little shark outfit Beca had bought that Bailey was wearing. It had a little hoodie that looked like a shark's fin. She was dismayed when she couldn't find a matching adult hoodie. Chloe was equally excited because they could sing the famous kids' song "Baby Shark" to her. And Beca wasn't thrilled about that idea because of the whole mommy and daddy shark bit. She didn't want to confuse their baby. Chloe brushed it off and said Beca was overthinking it.

Now, Beca knew Bailey really loved her moms' singing. And she really loved it when her moms would sing and dance. And the outfit was perfect. So Beca begrudgingly got to her feet, put her hands on her hips, and looked down at her screaming child.

"I'm doing this because I love you." Beca mumbled as she synched her phone to the bluetooth speaker and the familiar bass tune of the kids' song she so detested started playing. Bailey's tears slowed and she sniffled as she looked around, wondering about the unfamiliar tune and noise. She was able to shakily pull herself to her feet as Beca began singing.

"Baby shark do-do-do-do-do-do! Baby shark do-do-do-do-do-do! Baby shark!" Beca sang as she did the little hand motion. Bailey was still sniffling, but was looking intrigued at her mom's hands. "Mommy shark do-do-do-do-do-do! Mommy shark do-do-do-do-do-do! Mommy shark!" Beca pretended to nip at Bailey's nose with the last gesture, making a little grin form on the 8-month old's face.

Beca did a little improvising on the next line that even Aubrey Posen would have to be proud of. "Mama shark do-do-do-do-do-do!" She started dramatically slapping her hands together with her arms out straight. "Mama shark do-do-do-do-do-do! Mama shark!" Bailey was fully smiling now, watching Beca dance and sing. Her eyes were still puffy and red from her crazy tantrum, but clearly her mood had switched.

Beca went through the grandma and grandpa shark parts and Bailey was giggling and awkwardly stomping in her playpen as if she was trying to dance with Beca. Beca pretended to attack Bailey with her hand fins that sat atop her head during the "let's go hunt" part. Then Beca suddenly snatched Bailey up and spun her around over her head as she sang "Run away do-do-do-do-do-do! Run away do-do-do-do-do-do! Run away!" Bailey was in a state of uncontrollable giggles when Beca gave her a raspberry on her little round belly and lowered her back to her chest after spinning around in the air.

The song came to an end and Beca was surprised at how out of breath she was from such little exertion. She could hear Aubrey's voice in her head "you need to do more cardio." She took a deep breath and looked down at Bailey who in a matter of five minutes went from screaming bloody murder to smiling like she was the happiest baby in the world.

"Now, don't tell your mama I sang that okay?" Beca whispered, even though she knew Bailey couldn't really understand.

"Too late for that." Chloe's voice startled Beca as she stood in the entryway by the stairs holding her phone, clearly taking a video.

"Oh, fuck!" Beca spun around in surprise as she gripped onto her baby.

"Beca!" Chloe scolded, nodding at Bailey.

Beca quickly placed her hand around Bailey's head to cover her ear. "I mean fudge. Why'd you record that?"

"Because it is the absolute most precious thing I've ever seen in my entire life." Chloe slid her phone into her pocket as she beamed at her daughter. "I'm curious as to why you made 'mama' shark the bigger one, though? Care to explain?" She gave Beca a playful, yet slightly scolding look.

"Because you're scarier." Beca shrugged, the unsaid 'duh' clearly there.

"Mama isn't mean, right Bailey?" Chloe cooed at her daughter who was giggling and reaching her chubby little arms out for her.

"She likes you better." Beca grumped as she handed Bailey over.

"That's only because she knows breakfast, lunch, and dinner come from my breasts." Chloe gave Bailey's little nose a poke and turned to see Beca staring down at said breasts, which had grown two cup sizes with the pregnancy and nursing baby.

"Hmm…" Beca said, with her eyes glazed over, clearly not paying attention. Chloe gave her chin a gentle tap, making the brunette's eyes shoot right back up to Chloe's.

"I'm sure her 'favorite' will change anyway. Once she figures out you're a child too, you'll be best friends." Chloe rolled her eyes as she bounced Bailey up and down.

"Pft." Beca rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue before exiting for the kitchen.

"Mommy's a grown up child isn't she?" Chloe looked at her baby and spoke in her baby talk that always made Bailey giggle.

* * *

_Pretty Like Mama_

"Beca! I'm leaving to meet up with Aubrey!" Chloe called from the bedroom.

"Alrighty!" Beca shouted back as if she didn't have a care in the world. She was too busy making airplane noises for their daughter so she would eat her vegetables.

"Make sure Bailey gets dinner-" Chloe was putting an earring in as she entered the kitchen to a smug looking Beca.

'You mean I'm going to need to actually feed our child? I had no idea!" Beca held a hand to her chest feigning shock.

"Alright, smarta...butt." Chloe quickly corrected, narrowing her eyes at Beca. "Sorry for being nervous leaving you alone for the first time."

"She's almost two, Chloe. What trouble could we get into?" Beca made a face at Bailey who shouted "Twubo!" with her arms slapping her high chair erratically.

"That's what I'm worried about." Chloe sighed as she hurried over to give Bailey a kiss on the head and Beca a kiss on the lips. "You sure you don't mind me meeting up with Aubrey tonight?"

"Babe, I'm positive." Beca stood up and placed her hands on Chloe's shoulders. "You deserve a night out. As long as you come back before midnight so I don't have to worry about you, it's fine. She's my daughter too, I can handle it. I promise."

"Okay." Chloe sighed and gave Beca another quick kiss. "Don't forget to shut the door to our room, I left it open. I love you. I'll be back soon!" She called as she hurried out the front door, already late to her dinner with her best friend.

"Alright, munchkin." Beca rubbed her hands together and grinned playfully at Bailey in her high chair. "What kind of shenanigans shall we do first?"

* * *

After a very fun evening for both Beca and Bailey of playing with toys, stuffed animals, horsey-ride (Bailey's favorite, bouncing up and down on her mom's knee like it was a horse), and having a tea party it was just about time for bed. Beca went to the bathroom, her only moment leaving Bailey alone for the entire evening. When she emerged from the bathroom she heard a small shatter noise come from her and Chloe's bedroom.

"Oh no." Beca looked down the hall. She had forgotten to close the door. Her heart sank to her feet. The first time she let Bailey out of her sight all night, and of course she went into their room. She could only hope Bailey hadn't done much damage in the two minutes Beca was in the bathroom.

"Mommy!" Bailey exclaimed excitedly. Beca's jaw dropped and her brain started racing for how to fix this before Chloe got home, which should be any minute. "I pwetty like Mama!" Bailey had lipstick smeared all over her lips and jaw. Her hands were covered in foundation that she had slapped on various parts of her face. And she was holding the mascara brush which she had used to draw all over her cheeks.

"Okay. Okay." Beca nodded to herself, trying to calm down. Especially when she saw Chloe's favorite and very expensive makeup palette shattered on the floor. "Its okay, baby girl. You are very pretty. But let's get you cleaned up."

"No!" Bailey whined.

"You need to get to bed, okay? And it'll make your face all wrinkly and icky if you leave that on when you sleep." Beca pinched her little cheeks. The explanation seemed to satisfy Bailey. "Now, let's clean up real quick. And how about this be our secret. Don't tell Mama, okay?"

"Too late." Chloe stood in the doorway, arms folded, mouth frowning.

"Heyyy baby!" Beca jumped up to give Chloe a hug.

"Oh, don't baby me." Chloe held her arms out to prevent Beca from hugging her. "How did she get in here?"

"I, uh, I forgot to shut the door." Beca looked down.

"Mama! I pwetty!" Bailey exclaimed, holding her arms out. Chloe looked down at her daughter and couldn't help but let a small grin escape. She was pretty adorable.

"The prettiest girl in the world." Chloe said as she scooped her up. "But now we need to clean you up okay?"

"Bath!" Bailey bounced in Chloe's arms. She absolutely loved bathtime. Beca wondered if she was smart enough at this age to know that getting into Chloe's makeup would earn her a second bath for the night.

"I'm going to clean her up." Chloe looked at Beca. "I expect this to be cleaned when I get back." She motioned at the makeup on the floor. "And I also expect a replacement in the next two days."

"Totes." Beca nodded. She only used the word when Chloe was irked with her, thinking it would soften the redhead up a little. "Love you!"

"Mmm." Chloe hummed, noncommittally, but still let Beca jog up to give her a quick kiss. "Love you too."

* * *

_Meet Mr. Snuggles_

Beca and Chloe were enjoying one of their treasured intimate moments while 5 year old Bailey was asleep down the hall. They would get Aubrey or Stacie or Emily to babysit every so often so they could have a night to themselves, but their friends were busy too, so they didn't want to ask too often. Both their parents lived in different states. And they had yet to trust a stranger, no matter how many recommendations they had, to watch their daughter for a night.

So when Bailey actually went to bed early and they had energy left over, they tried to make the most of it. Beca was currently under the covers, head between Chloe's legs, while Chloe tried to keep the noises she was making to a minimum volume. Chloe felt herself about to reach the brink when a little voice could be heard behind their door.

"Mama? Mommy?" Bailey sounded scared and fragile and it broke Chloe's heart every time it sounded that way. She took a moment to steady her heart rate as Beca had frozen under the sheets. She knew Beca was naked and didn't have time to throw clothes on. It was one of the moments she really wished they had a master bathroom. But she was grateful that they had been a little frenzied that evening that she at least still had a tank top on.

"Yes, sweetie?" Chloe called out, in the most normal sounding voice she could muster. Beca stayed immobile under the sheets, trying to lie as flat as possible so Bailey couldn't see her outline.

"I had a bad dweam." Bailey opened the door and peeked in with watery eyes.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry." Chloe truly was. She wanted to protect Bailey from literally everything negative, even the imaginary world of dreams.

"Can I sleep here?"

Normally Chloe would welcome her with open arms and let the little girl snuggle in between her and Beca. She really didn't want to say no, but she didn't really have another choice.

"How about you go back to your bed, and Mommy will come read you a story and stay with you till you fall asleep?" Chloe suggested otherwise, knowing she couldn't welcome their daughter into bed right now.

"Where is mommy?" Bailey looked around.

"Oh, she's just playing hide and seek." Chloe laughed awkwardly, trying her best to somewhat hide the Beca-shaped figure under the sheets. "I know where she is though, and I'll send her over, okay? Now, go back to bed."

"Mommy's silly." Bailey smiled and turned to go back to her room. Chloe sighed in relief as she leaned against their headboard. Beca finally rose above the sheets and gave Chloe a look.

"Well, would you have rather me told her to jump in bed?" Chloe asked, reading the brunette's mind.

Beca quickly changed and padded down the hall to read Bailey a story. After Beca checked every nook and cranny for monsters, read a short story, and promised how no monster would ever get to Bailey as long as she had her mommies to protect her. Within no time Bailey was falling asleep again. She was nestled against Beca's side, Beca's arm wrapped protectively around her.

"You're the best snuggle buddy." Beca whispered as she kissed Bailey's head. "But don't tell your mom I said that." Her feet were slightly dangling off the small bed. She rested her head atop Bailey's, oblivious to the fact that Chloe was standing near the doorway, trying to wipe away a tear, observing the sight before her.

* * *

The next morning was Saturday and Beca was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of pancakes for her two favorite girls. Chloe was sleeping in this weekend. They took turns who got to sleep in on Saturdays so they rotated weeks. Chloe's schedule as a nurse allowed her to have every other Saturday off. And Beca's music producing career would let her work from home most weekends unless a famous artist was in town temporarily. And every Saturday like clockwork Bailey was always up and ready to watch cartoons as soon as one of her moms emerged from their bedroom.

Beca had set Bailey up by the TV with her favorite stuffed animal in perfect view from where she was in the kitchen. As she was whipping the batter up and making her coffee, she glanced up and saw that the couch was empty. This was not an uncommon occurrence. Bailey was quite an active child. Beca and Chloe often felt like they were outnumbered against Bailey alone.

So Beca stepped into the living room, glancing around for her daughter and then she saw the back door open. And it was raining. Beca usually loved a rainy Saturday morning. But not when her daughter might have escaped into it.

"Oh, fuck." She mumbled to herself before sprinting outside. She frantically looked around and saw no sign of Bailey. She was just about to go into a full on panic attack when she heard a little kitten meow and Bailey quietly sneaking back inside. After breathing a hearty sigh of relief she ran back inside after Bailey.

"Bailey, you know you're not supposed to go outside without Mommy or Mama." Beca said as she tried to get her heart rate under control, sliding the door closed.

"I know, I'm sowwy." Bailey said quickly. "But she needed me."

"How do you know she needed you?"

"She was cwying. She's cold and wet. She knows we have a nice house. She knows we would love her. She lost her own Mommy." Bailey said as she intently stroked the kitten who seemed to be perfectly content in Bailey's hands. "Can we keep her, Mommy?" She looked up at Beca with her big dark blue eyes. She might have Beca's eyes and hair, but there was no one else she could have learned that look from besides Chloe.

"I don't know." Beca sighed like she was in physical pain. It was so hard to say no to her daughter, especially the older she got and figured out how to manipulate her.

"Can I just hold her and give her some milk for now?" Bailey asked, holding the fluffy gray and white kitten tightly under her chin. "At least until it stops waining."

"Fine. Fine." Beca groaned as she walked into the kitchen to get some milk and a bowl. "Just try to keep it quiet."

"Okay." Bailey grinned, knowing she had won.

"Let me see this little thing." Beca took the tiny, fluffy, and slightly wet kitten from Bailey. It was actually pretty cute. And had a sweet little meow. Beca might have been more of a dog person, but she loved all animals. Especially animals that looked at her with such pitiful eyes as this gray and white one.

"Don't tell your mom." Beca warned as she looked down at Bailey. She needed to come up with a gameplan to ask Chloe if they could keep it, already deciding herself she wanted to.

"Don't tell mom what?" Chloe entered the kitchen. She looked sleepy, but the words 'don't tell mom' seemed to help wake her up a little. Beca quickly moved the kitten behind her back as she and Bailey both spun to face Chloe. They wore the same guilty expression. Bailey was becoming Beca's mini-me with each passing day. And Chloe had to try to ignore how adorable they were standing side by side with their hands behind their backs.

"What are you two hiding?"

"Nothing." Beca and Bailey said at the same time, in the exact same tone. Chloe eyed them both, deciding who she would target to crack. Usually Beca was the victim. But this time she knew how to get them both.

"If one of you doesn't tell me in the next 30 seconds, no hide and seek for a month." Hide and seek was one of Bailey's favorite games to play with her moms, they played it at least 3 times a week if not more. And after last night, it had new meaning for Beca. So it was also one of her favorite activities. "For either of you." She gave Beca a pointed look.

Beca sighed, ready to come clean and bring the kitten from behind her back when the little intruder let out a loud meow, leaving no question as to what the girls were hiding. Beca held it out for Chloe with a nervous smile.

"It was raining. And it was cold and wet. We were just going to give it some milk." Beca quickly rattled off as she tried to hold the kitten out for Chloe to see how cute it was.

"Can we keep it, mama? Pwease?" Bailey folded her hands and put them under her chin as she begged Chloe. Beca stood a little behind her and mouthed 'please, mama?' as she held the kitten up. Chloe's resolve wore thin quickly.

"You two are going to be responsible for feeding it. And I am not going to ever take care of the litter box." She pointed between the two of them.

"Yay!" Bailey squealed and wrapped her arms around Chloe's legs. When she turned around, Beca gave her a high five before handing the kitten over. Chloe shook her head at Beca with a smirk. She'd be lying if she said the kitten wasn't cute and she wanted to give it home. She was a sucker for animals, after all.

* * *

"We have to get her some toys and food and littew and a collaw and tweats." Bailey prattled on as she sat in between Beca and Chloe as she held the little kitten who was content to play with her fingers.

"We'll go get stuff tomorrow." Beca promised.

"All of us will go. I don't trust you not to buy the whole store if I'm not there to stop you." Chloe gave Beca a loving squeeze to the neck after Beca shot her a playful scowl.

"Are we even sure the kitten's a girl?" Beca asked, suddenly realizing there was no way Bailey would know.

"Kitties are guwls mommy." Bailey explained.

"Some are boys, baby." Beca explained as she gently took the kitten. She held it in the air, exposing its belly, trying to get a look.

"This is what my life has become. Looking at the private parts of a kitten." She rolled her eyes over at Chloe who just giggled.

"So is it a boy or girl?" Chloe asked.

"I'm pretty sure this handsome dude's a boy." Beca set him back down in Bailey's lap.

"I still love him." Bailey said as she gave the kitten a hug. Beca tried not to bust out laughing.

"So what do you want to name your new kitten?" Chloe asked.

"Mr. Snuggles!" Bailey exclaimed without hesitation. Beca grimaced at the name and Chloe smiled widely at Beca's reaction.

"Are you sure you want to name him that? I don't know if he'd like that name." Beca tried to sway Bailey to change the name.

"No. Mr. Snuggles. He's a good snugglerw just like me." Bailey held the kitten close and looked proudly into Beca's eyes. Beca let out a sigh, knowing there would be future times of embarrassment when she announced the name of the cat to people.

"Mr. Snuggles it is." Beca tried to hide her disappointment.

"I love it." Chloe gave Bailey a little kiss and flashed a happy smile to Beca.

* * *

_Ladies Don't Start Fights_

Beca and Chloe were on their way to school to meet with the Principal and Bailey's 3rd grade teacher. They each received calls about Bailey having been in an altercation with a fellow student. They were both equally shocked. Bailey wasn't the type of kid to get into fights. So they were obviously concerned.

Beca held the door open as Chloe entered the office first. Bailey was sitting off to the side with her head down and hands in her lap, knowing she was in trouble and didn't want to look up at her moms just yet.

"Principal Douglas." Chloe reached out to shake his hand. "Mrs. Palmer." She did the same with the teacher and gave Beca a silent instruction to do the same. Beca knew Mrs. Palmer didn't like her. Ever since Beca started a water fight in her classroom with the children during an art class. Parents all volunteered once a week to help with art class. And Beca was specifically asked to not volunteer again. Mrs. Palmer never really got over it.

"I'll just get down to it." Principal Douglas dispensed with the formalities. "Bailey, here, was seen holding a classmate, Trevor Hill, in a headlock until he cried on the playground." Beca looked shocked and Chloe let out a sigh of frustration with her daughter.

"She specifically told him 'my mom taught me that ladies don't start fight but they can finish them' when he was begging for mercy." Mrs. Palmer added, and then looked at Beca with a judgemental glare. "I can only wonder who she learned that from."

Chloe's jaw was clenched as she slowly turned her head to look at Beca. Beca felt the heat from the glare and slowly turned her head the opposite direction, finding a particularly interesting patch of tile on the ceiling, avoiding Chloe's look.

"We plan to give her one week of recess detention." Principal Douglas explained. "She will also be expected to apologize to the boy. His parents are fine with this and don't want to make this any more dramatic than necessary."

"Good." Chloe nodded. "I assure you we will talk to her about how fighting is absolutely not acceptable." She paused to glance at Beca, who was still glancing in the opposite direction. "And she will apologize. This won't happen again." Chloe apologized to the two adults and shook their hands again as she guided her girls out the door.

Beca and Bailey both walked solemnly to the car. Bailey buckled her middle seatbelt as Beca and Chloe silently got into the two front seats.

"I'm sorry." Bailey said as soon as the doors were shut. "He was pulling my pigtails and being a butthead. I told him to stop and he asked what I was going to do about it. So I said do it again and find out. And he mocked me and said girls can't fight. So I put him in a headlock to prove that I can finish a fight." She folded her arms, raising her chin, slightly proudly.

"Beca?" Chloe looked at her wife sitting quietly in the front seat. "What should we make her punishment for getting in a fight?"

"No iPad games for a week." Beca said firmly but quietly, knowing her own scolding would be coming later.

"But-" Bailey started to protest.

"No buts." Chloe quickly interrupted giving Bailey the look in the rearview mirror. "We don't solve problems by fighting in this family, is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Bailey mumbled and rolled her head to look out the window the rest of the drive home.

* * *

They ate dinner fairly quietly. Bailey was busy sulking over not being able to play games on her iPad. Beca and Chloe were trying not to be tense about their impending discussion once Bailey went to bed.

Chloe was tucking the girl in and gave her a kiss before walking to the door.

"You still love me, right mama?" Bailey asked, peeking out from her covers.

"Of course I do!" Chloe gasped, her heart breaking that Bailey would even ask that. She hurried back over to the bed to kiss the girl again and stroke her cheek lovingly. "Nothing you do will make me not love you, okay? I can be upset and disappointed from time to time. But I will always. Always. Love you, okay? And so does your mom. You are our world. Just because you get in some trouble doesn't mean we will ever love you any less. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." Bailey nodded. "I love you too, Mama." She gave Chloe a hug around her neck before dropping back to her pillow.

"Sweet dreams, sweet girl." Chloe ran her fingers through Bailey's dark brown locks before returning to the door and turning out the light.

Beca was waiting patiently in bed, her back against the headboard as she scrolled through her phone when Chloe returned.

"I'm sorry." Beca said quickly, before Chloe could say anything.

"I would just like to know why my eight year old thinks its okay to fight with a boy and hold him in a headlock until he cries." Chloe folded her arms as she stood at the foot of the bed.

"I mean you have to admit she's kind of a badass." Beca smirked, hoping Chloe could find some humor in the situation.

"And where did this 'ladies don't start fights but they can finish them' business come from? Why are you teaching her that fighting is okay?" Chloe ignored the last comment and dropped her hands to her sides in exasperation.

"That's not what I meant to do." Beca quickly tried to explain as Chloe slid into bed beside her to listen. "We were just watching 'The Aristocats' with Mr. Snuggles." (Chloe paused the conversation in her mind to remember how adorable that statement from her wife was, before resuming being angry.) "And Marie said that whole line and Bailey thought it was hilarious. So she asked me if it was true what the little kitten said. And I specifically told her that fights were not good. But if someone starts something with you, you should finish it so it doesn't happen again. She told me about the little shit in her class who keeps pulling her hair and I told her she should defend herself if need be. I told her not to tell you yet because I didn't want you calling his parents or doing something to embarrass her until she could try to solve the situation herself."

"Beca." Chloe sighed and rubbed her forehead as if she was trying to massage away all the future wrinkles her wife and child were going to give her. "She's eight. She doesn't know the difference between fighting and standing up for yourself without violence. She shouldn't need to figure it out herself. We have to teach her that fighting is always wrong and show her how and why to choose the alternatives."

"Even when she's being bullied?" Beca challenged.

"There are ways to take care of bullies without violence."

"I don't remember you complaining back in college when I punched a sleazy guys' jaws when he wouldn't take his hand off your ass."

"That's different." Chloe groaned, remembering multiple scenes very clearly.

"So how's she going to know how to defend herself or her friends if we don't teach her?" Beca asked quietly, pleading with Chloe to understand her point of view.

"Maybe we can enroll her in some self defence classes when she's a teenager." Chloe conceded. "She's just...she's so young right now. She doesn't need to be thinking of whether or not fighting is something worth doing."

"Fair enough." Beca nodded, wrapping an arm around Chloe's waist. She gave her a slow kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry for kind of being responsible for our kid getting in trouble." Then she moved to Chloe's neck. Chloe let her travel for the time being until Beca asked. "How about you let me prove how sorry I am?"

Chloe let out a low giggle as she leaned away. "You're funny."

"What?" Beca clearly was not following the mood of the room.

"Bailey doesn't get to play games on the iPad for a week. You don't get to have your adult fun for a week either." Chloe smiled brightly as she gave Beca's cheek before nudging her back to her side of the bed.

"I knew I shouldn't have had a kid." Beca sighed as she rolled on her back to look at the ceiling.

"Did you guys at least sing with each other during aristocats?" Chloe asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Yep. She even tried to get Mr. Snuggles to dance and he got upset and hid for a while before coming back." Beca chuckled.

"Hmm...Mr. Snuggles sounds a lot like the freshman year version of my wife."

"Ugh. Gross." Beca wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Yeah, yeah." Chloe giggled, unconvinced of Beca's aversion to snuggles and cuteness. "Now come here Mrs. Snuggles."

Beca harrumphed as she rolled over and nestled into Chloe's side as Chloe wrapped her arms around her. If they weren't going to get to play hide and seek, this was a good second option. Not that Beca would ever admit that.

* * *

_Badminton_

Chloe was at work. Saving the world as Beca would tell Bailey. Beca really did enjoy these Saturdays with her daughter, just the two of them. In a blink of an eye Bailey would become a teenager and wouldn't be as enthusiastic about these weekend mornings with her moms. So Beca had to soak these days in while she could.

Bailey was a little restless today. She was outgrowing the kid cartoons in the morning and learning to love more active forms of entertainment. Her first suggestion was to ride bikes around the neighborhood. That was definitely more of a Chloe activity, so Beca encouraged her to try and think of something else since that idea sounded borderline repulsive to Beca.

"Can we play badminton?" Bailey asked as she grabbed the racquets from beside the door where she and Chloe had left them last. Another Chloe activity. Beca missed the days already of just sitting on the floor inside, drinking fake tea and not having to exercise.

"Fine, but I don't want to go outside. Its hot." Beca took a racquet.

"But mom doesn't like-"

"What mom doesn't know won't kill her." Beca gave her daughter a wink as she grabbed one of the shuttlecocks. Bailey just shook her head, knowing that her mom was asking for trouble every time they tried to keep a secret from Chloe.

They volleyed back and forth for a few minutes, using the couch as a makeshift net. Mr. Snuggles even got in on the action as he hopped back and forth between the two trying to catch the shuttlecock. At one point Beca was moving to her left to hit it back over when Mr. Snuggles pounced at her foot.

"Shit!" Beca nearly tripped as she lost control of her racquet, trying not to fall on the cat. She flinched when she heard a shattering of glass.

"Uh oh." Bailey stood frozen on the other side of the couch. Beca turned to follow where Bailey's gaze was. Above the fireplace on their mantle, Beca and Chloe's big framed wedding photo was shattered. Glass covered part of the mantle and on the floor beside the racquet.

"Stay over there." Beca said quickly, not wanting Bailey to step on any of the glass. She tip-toed over and picked up the frame. One of the corners was broken, but the picture seemed to be in fine shape. Beca carefully removed the photo and set it on the dining room table before hurrying back to pick up all the glass.

"Mom's going to kill you." Bailey bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"No she won't." Beca said quickly as she started measuring the frame with an app on her phone. "Just don't-"

"I know, I know. Don't tell mom. I'll just wait for her to see it for herself." Bailey snickered.

"I'm just going to get a new frame, clean up all the glass, and boom, all fine. She'll never know we broke a frame."

"You broke the frame, mom."

"But _we_ were both playing badminton inside."

"Which was your idea."

"Traitor." Beca mumbled as she scooped up the rest of the glass. "Go put your shoes on, we gotta go to the store."

* * *

Aside from every last tiny detail of a song or mashup, Beca was known to be one of the least observant people ever. She had frantically discarded the broken frame and threw it in the dumpster at the end of their street so Chloe wouldn't see it in the trash or their garbage can. She had neglected to pay attention to what the frame looked like or even its basic color. Despite having lived with the frame for over a decade, when she arrived at the store, she had no idea which one would be a fitting replacement.

Chloe, however, was observant to a fault. Beca once bought new shoe laces for her favorite red pair of converse. Same shade of white, just slightly less frayed. Chloe noticed the moment Beca walked in the door and said they looked nice. Beca had also once bought a new book for herself. She always kept a stack of three or four books on the corner end table in the living room. The moment Chloe walked in she asked Beca about the new book Beca was reading.

Conversely, Chloe at one time bought a TV for their bedroom that Beca had been asking for for weeks. She emptied the contents from atop the dresser in the corner and put the TV there. She was waiting for Beca to react, but after a week she grew impatient and literally pointed Beca's eyes at it.

So in retrospect, Beca probably shouldn't have even wasted her energy trying to replace the frame. She should have just accepted her punishment and let it go. After all, the frame held no emotional significance and the actual wedding photo was unharmed. But next to unobservant, stubbornness ranked high on the list of Beca Mitchell personality traits.

"Do you remember what color it was? Gold?" Beca asked young Bailey as she studied the frames.

"It was brown." Bailey corrected. "A dark brown. None of these are fancy enough."

"Are they obviously different?"

"To you? No. To Mom?" Bailey gave Beca a look that said Beca should know better. For a ten year old, Bailey was pretty smart and also gaining more and more Beca-like sass by the day.

"Alright, let's go to one of the craft stores." Beca sighed in defeat, leading Bailey out of Walmart.

* * *

After an hour, Beca and Bailey finally returned home. She put the picture in the new frame, hung it back up and admired her handiwork.

"How's it look?"

"We'll see when mom gets home." Bailey smirked.

A couple hours later, Chloe did return. Beca jogged to the door and wrapped her in a big hug asking how her day was.

"It was fine." Chloe eyed her suspiciously.

"How about we make some lunch?" Beca asked, leading Chloe to the kitchen.

"I had lunch with-" Chloe stopped when she caught sight of the fireplace. "Why did you change the frame for our wedding picture?"

Beca wanted to scream 'How the hell can you notice that so fast!?' but she just chuckled nervously.

"Okay, funny story." Beca held on to Chloe's arms. Chloe just watched her with amusement. Poor Beca never learned. "I was just walking calmly through the living room and Mr. Snuggles sneak attacked me, and I tripped. I fell right into the frame and it shattered. But neither me or Bailey got any cuts, we're both fine. And I replaced the frame so we wouldn't have to spend any more time than necessary not being able to look at our beautiful picture from the best day of my life." Beca smiled with all her teeth. Her guilty smile, known to everyone but her.

Sometimes when Chloe would catch Beca in a lie, she'd get mad or irritated. But more often than not, she found it amusing how hard her wife would try to pull one over on her. And how stressed Beca could get over small things sometimes. Like a picture frame. She'd play along today.

"So you tripped?" Chloe asked walking over to the fireplace. Beca nodded quickly. "And you somehow jumped two feet in the air, avoiding the mantle, and crashed into the picture frame?"

"Yep." Beca gulped and Chloe smiled as she turned to Bailey.

"Bailey?" Chloe asked as Bailey avoided eye contact. "Is that what happened?"

"Trying to turn my daughter against me?" Beca asked with mock outrage.

"I may have married a liar, but I didn't raise one." Chloe narrowed her eyes playfully. "Now, who wants to tell me what really happened?"

* * *

_Trip for Three_

Not every time that Beca tried to get Bailey to keep a secret from Chloe was because of something bad. It was coming up on their 15th wedding anniversary. And Beca had purchased tickets to a Mexico resort where they would share a private Bungalow for a week. With the bonus she received after one of her artists' albums hit number one, she spent it almost immediately on something for her and her wife.

In addition to their anniversary, Chloe was 10 weeks pregnant with their second child. And as thrilled as they were about it, Beca knew they wouldn't have a chance to have a real, relaxing vacation for a long time. So she was hoping they could get away for a little bit, without hurting their daughters' feelings.

Bailey was twelve now and being a preteen came with random mood swings. Beca tried to navigate it as best she could trying to remember back when she was that age to sympathize. So she had no idea how Bailey would react to them leaving her for a week for their own vacation.

"Hey, Bales." Beca slid into a chair at the dining room table where Bailey was doing some homework. She nervously tapped her fingers on the wood which was the well-known signal that Beca was about to ask for something and was nervous to do it. Usually this nervous tick was reserved for Chloe.

"What'd you do?" Bailey eyed her suspiciously.

"Funny." Beca deadpanned. "I didn't do anything. I actually wanted to ask you something. As you know, me and your mom's anniversary is coming up. I wanted to surprise her with a trip. But it would just be me and her. Aunt Aubrey has already said she'd love to have you spend some time with her for that week. But if you would be upset, I can figure something else out for the three of us to go somewhere."

"Mom." Bailey rolled her eyes. "I'm not a baby anymore. I think that'd be awesome for you two to get away. And I'm honestly fine with not being smothered by the two of you for a week."

"Hey." Beca whined in offense.

"I love you, mom. You deserve a trip with mom."

"I miss you calling us mommy and mama." Beca smiled somewhat sadly, realizing her baby girl was getting older.

"Yeah, yeah, well you'll have a new pipsqueak around soon enough to do that. And he or she can distract you two so I can have fun."

"Please, like you'd be able to hide anything from your mother." Beca scoffed.

"Well, you still try." Bailey shrugged. "I can't be any worse than you." And then Beca gave her a gentle swat on the arm.

"How are my two favorite girls?" Chloe suddenly entered the kitchen, awake from her nap far sooner than Beca expected. Beca quickly snatched the two tickets and shoved them into her pocket.

"How was your nap, sweetheart?" Beca asked with a wide grin. Beca only called Chloe sweetheart when she was trying to cover something up. It definitely wasn't one of the common pet names. And Chloe knew this.

"It was fine, sweetheart. What are you hiding?" Chloe smiled right back. Bailey let out a little snort and Beca shot her a quick glare before returning her focus to Chloe.

"Its a surprise."

"A good surprise or bad surprise?" Chloe studied Beca's facial expression closely.

"That's for me to know and you to find out...later." Beca gave Chloe one of her signature winks.

"Bailey, do you know what your mom's hiding?" Chloe leaned her hands on the table and turned her attention to their daughter.

"Its definitely not a trip." Bailey said quickly.

"Bales!" Beca hissed.

"A trip?!" Chloe's eyes widened and she beamed at Beca.

"You are so worse than me." Beca groaned at the 12 year old.

"What? I didn't say it was to Mexico!" Bailey defended. Beca immediately flinched when she heard a loud squeal erupt from Chloe. The disappointment from not getting to surprise Chloe the way she wanted quickly dissipated when she saw her favorite redhead bounce up and down gleefully in their dining room. She couldn't wait for them to have their little babymoon together before Chloe wasn't able to travel. As she watched her wife squeal with joy and her daughter roll her eyes at the both of them, Beca couldn't help but grin, feeling like the happiest woman in the world.

* * *

_A New Use For Makeup_

Bailey was 16, her little brother Blake was 3. Bailey had recently been allowed to start dating. It was an issue that Beca and Chloe fought about for weeks. Beca didn't want Bailey to start dating till her twenties and Chloe helped her realize she was being a little irrational. Knowing Beca's aversion to her dating in general, Bailey was terrified coming home one night...with a hickey.

Really neither of her mother's were going to handle this well, but Beca would literally lose her mind. Bailey had only seen Beca furious twice in her life. And both times were when guys tried to hit on Chloe right in front of her. She really didn't want to be responsible for her mom potentially attacking a teenager.

She quietly entered the front door and saw Beca playing with Blake on the floor, trying to show him how to put the right shapes into the same holes in the box. She was very focused so it was easy for Bailey to sneak by and hurry to the kitchen where Chloe was putting leftovers from dinner away.

"Hey, sweetie, how was-" Chloe turned to look at her and suddenly gasped when she saw the hickey sitting low on Bailey's neck. "What the heck is that?!" Chloe whisper-yelled as she glanced to the living room to make sure Beca didn't hear you.

"Don't be mad." Bailey said quickly.

"Don't be mad?" Chloe folded her arms. It was the first time Bailey truly felt what Beca must go through so often. "That boy mauled your neck!"

"Mom! Shh!" Bailey waved her hands at Chloe, while looking over her shoulder to make sure Beca was still occupied.

"Upstairs, move." Chloe pushed Bailey to the back staircase to avoid Beca. They hurried to Bailey's room and Chloe quickly grabbed her chin and looked closely at the purple and red mark on her baby girl's neck.

"You are grounded for two weeks." Chloe huffed in frustration.

"Mom!" Bailey whined.

"Oh, would you rather me bring in your other mother to come up with a different punishment?" Chloe asked sarcastically, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh my God, its not that serious." Bailey groaned. "We just got a little carried away."

"How carried away?" Chloe asked sternly.

"We didn't have sex, I promise." Bailey said honestly. Even though Chloe believed her daughter, she was still taken aback at the fact that this was a conversation she was having with Bailey. She couldn't believe her daughter was old enough to even be talking about sex. It was just yesterday Chloe was dressing her up in cute outfits and having dance marathons in the living room while Beca pretended to be annoyed. It was just yesterday little Bailey was saving a little kitten and naming it Mr. Snuggles, who was now a senior cat curled up in his cat bed beside Bailey's, snoozing away as if he had no idea there were people in the room. It almost made Chloe want to cry right there on the spot.

"I want to meet this boy." Chloe shook her thoughts away and spoke definitively. "Once the two weeks are over, he needs to come over for dinner."

"What? That's so embarrassing!"

"We meet him or you don't get to date him anymore." Chloe stood her ground.

"Fine. Fine." Bailey sighed as she rolled her eyes. She looked and acted so much like Beca it was crazy for Chloe to witness.

"I have some makeup tips to help hide that." Chloe let her anger calm down. "I've had to cover a hickey or two of my own. Once when me and your mom were visiting my parents-"

"Stop!" Bailey raised a hand and closed her eyes. "Gross…"

"Just be happy your parents love each other." Chloe tsked as she went over to Bailey's little vanity desk. "Now, let's get this covered up."

"And we don't have to tell mom?" Bailey asked hopefully as she pulled a chair over to sit in front of Chloe.

"As long as you promise this never happens again." Chloe gave her a warning look as she grabbed the foundation. "We don't tell mom."

"Don't tell mom what?" Beca peeked in the doorway with Blake pulling on her hair. She looked carefully between Bailey and Chloe, Bailey glancing over her shoulder with side of her neck that did not have the hickey. They both looked nervous and guilty. It was the first time Beca had been on the receiving end of a 'don't tell mom' moment. And she was 100% not a fan.


End file.
